Hit and Run
by CuddlyGoblin
Summary: Nationals are over and Ryoma goes to America, confidante that he'll see his friends again. What he didn't count on was missing them too much, so he goes back to Japan for a surprise visit. But a car leaves him broken and bleeding on an empty street. Scared these are his last moments he calls the one he misses the most for a final goodbye.
1. Chapter 1

A few minutes ago I would have killed to have a moment of peace, but now I would do anything to hear the high pitched screech of a girl. Be careful what you wish for. But the problem is that wasn't what I wanted. Sure, there were a lot of times I did everything I could just to avoid people on the street but now that there's nobody to see my broken body in the middle of the road.

I was actually on my way to see the loudest, most annoying group of people I knew. Nobody got under my skin the way they did back in middle school. Even with my bratty attitude they still dragged me along for whatever stupid adventure they had planned. And as time passed I really did grow to love them.

After Nationals I left for America without so much as a goodbye. I had planned to go to some camp when they assured me that the Seigaku Regulars would be invited, and I knew they would go. What I didn't plan on was missing them so much. In the heat of the moment I got a one way ticket to Japan and set off to go see my friends. Yep, you heard me. Friends. Never thought I'd say that.

Now I'm lying in the middle of the road with my back all torn up, legs bent in an unnatural angle, and growing weight on my chest. I don't know if it's all the blood I'm losing but I did a really terrible thing.

Every move brought a new wave of pain that coursed through my body, so you can imagine the agony it was to move my arm and pull out my cellphone. Other than the cracked screen the phone was fine. I turned it on and pressed the emergency call button, after typing the number in I let the phone drop the ground next to my head. I shifted until I could hear the person on the other line.

"-is your emergency?"

"I was-" talking was harder than I expected and I began to cough violently. After my coughing fit ended I tried again. "Car."

Lucky for me the person on the other end understood. "Help is on the way. Please remain on the phone with me. Is there anyone near you?"

"I wanna call somebody."

"No sir ple-" I ended the call.

My vision began to go in and out of focus. But I managed to type in a number I knew by heart with my bleeding finger. Half of my nail was gone. I wish my body would hurry up and turn numb, I can't help but flinch every now and then and it is a painful experience.

"Momoshiro speaking."

"Hey Momo-senpai." I tried to hold back another round of coughs.

"Oi! You little brat, what the hell?! What the fuck is wrong with you, you little brat?! You didn't even say goodbye to us! Now you're just calling me out of the blue! It's a little late for goodbyes don't you think?!"

"Sorry."

"Sorry? Well then I guess you're calling to beg for your senpai's forgiveness. I won't accept an apology over the phone. You have to come back to Japan."

I wanted to surprise them, so I didn't tell anyone, other than my mom, that I was coming. "How is everyone?"

"You're calling to see how we are? The Ryoma I knew would never do something like that. What have you done with him?"

I laughed, that was a mistake. I felt something warm and wet shot up through my throat and into my mouth. It over flowed and I felt it run down my cheeks. I wouldn't be surprised if it was my blood.

"Well I'm doing fantastic. Got a girlfriend and everything. Oishi and Eiji are out there winning tournaments and keeping an eye out for rotten players on the street courts. The snake is as stupid as ever, why did you leave me with him? Kawamura has some cooking school on their hands and knees, begging for him to choose them as his high school. Inui's been wandering around collecting data on potential regulars for the other schools. Oh, and Fuji is using Tezuka as a model for his photography club thingy. More like stalking."

The weight on my chest grew some more and breaths started to come out short and labored. No sound of sirens or anything. "You guys know that you're my best friends, right?"

"Ryoma?"

"I have no idea what would have happened to me if I hadn't met you guys." If I don't make then I want them to know this. "But you, you're my brother."

"Alright stop you're scar-"

"Can you just talk to me?" My vision blurred and no matter how many times I blinked I couldn't fix my vision.

"If this is some kind of joke-"

"Please!" My voice cracked.

"...Remember Atobe? And that time you shaved his head? I think he misses you. He came to the school and started lecturing the new club members about how they'll never be as good us. But honestly I think he had you in mind when he said all that. He was really angry at you when you left. So anyways, Tezuka came out with the scariest look on his face…"

I couldn't hear anything he was saying. It felt like he was humming in my ear but I couldn't make out any words. I guess this is dying? No warmth or cold that blocks out the pain, I can still feel everything. It's just my luck that my death won't be peaceful.

"I'm sorry." I don't know if I said it out loud. I couldn't even tell that Momo's "humming" had become louder and more frantic.

Suddenly everything went white.

My body began to twitch and thrash around slightly.

It slowly turned grey.

It felt like I was being choked. Like the air was purposefully avoiding me, leaving my mouth open desperate for a little bit of oxygen.

"Thank you Momo-senpai."

It's a terrible thing I'm doing. Calling Momo when I'm like this.

Then...nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hey Momo-senpai._**

It's hard to believe that Ryoma's gone. The little brat that would perch on the back of my bike and eat burgers with me. It didn't feel like he was gone. More like I didn't want to believe it. But when the police came to my doorstep and day after the call from Ryoma, I had to ride with them down to the morgue.

I should have been there sooner. I left Ryoma on that cold slab for a whole night, alone.

 _ **Sorry.**_

When his parents wanted the funeral to be held in America, Atobe flew everyone out on his own jet. And I mean everyone. Ryoma affected every team he came across in a good way. So it was natural for them to want to pay their respects to him. Even the freshman trio went.

 _ **How is everyone?**_

It was so hard to leave my room at first. I didn't want them to know that I woke up most nights crying. Or that sometimes I hear the phone ring I pick it up and hear Ryoma's last breaths. I didn't even know that those were his last moments. He called me for comfort. Why the hell did he do that? Did he know how much it would hurt when I learned the truth. He probably did, it's just like the brat.

Inui kept spacing out. He even started to loose his notebook, full of blackmail, for hours on end. But I sometimes see a sinister glint in his eyes.

Eiji hasn't talked since the funeral. Ryoma's parents had to yell: that yes Ryoma was dead since Eiji refused to believe that he was. There was no more acrobatic stunts or smiles.

Oishi was no better. He kept silent and refused to turn to his best friends, Eiji and Tezuka, for comfort. He didn't let anyone, even them, touch him.

Kaido snapped and beat some cocky seniors within an inch of their lives. Though the school was understanding and they didn't expel him in the end.

Fuji looked at everyone with his unnerving blue eyes. Nobody could get close to him without him turning his eyes on them. He made copies of pictures of Ryoma for us, but we all knew there was more that he was hoarding.

Tezuka cried.

 _ **You guys know that you're my best friends, right?**_

If there was anyone that missed Ryoma more than us then it was Atobe. He flew off the deep end and used everything that he had at his disposal to hunt down the guy hit Ryoma and left him for dead.

I heard his father had to, literally, hold him back from killing the guy when they found him. Instead of getting the punishment he deserved, Atobe had him arrested.

 _ **I have no idea what would have happened to me if I hadn't met you guys. But you, you're my brother.**_

Shigure Fukui had a beautiful wife and three children. He had just gotten a promotion and went out with his friends for drinks even though it was noon. He had no idea that he hit someone with his car. He is such a disgusting man. Life without parole (thank you Atobe) is too good for him.

Looking at his and his wife's horrified faces brought me joy and I even couldn't stop smiling when I saw his children break down in tears.

The night after his trial he was found beaten to death with a blunt object. Atobe once again stepped in and ended the investigation rather quickly despite his wife's pleas. After all he was just a common criminal who killed a child. God Ryoma was so young.

Yukimura chuckled when we heard the news and Kintaro finally smiled like he did with Ryoma. We all knew that the person responsible for Fukui's death was among us but we never asked questions. We were all thankful deep down.

 _ **Can you just talk to me?**_

Maybe Atobe wasn't the only one who went off the deep end. Can you blame me? I lost my little brother.

That bastard, Ryoga, went missing after the funeral. He never deserved Ryoma. I would have been so much better.

 _ **Please!**_

Everything that I felt was a part of Ryoma disappeared when Karupin died. It was heartbreaking to see that cat curl up on the casket. She bit, scratched, and hissed at everyone who got close to her and Ryoma. She didn't leave Ryoma's side even when he was buried. She stayed right next to the headstone, not eating or drinking anything. They said that she was old and that even if she did eat then it wouldn't have stopped her from dying that night.

We knew better. It was a broken heart. I wish I could die from a broken heart maybe then the pain will finally stop.

 _ **I'm sorry.**_

The school kicked us out of the tennis club. We skipped school, sometimes not coming in for days, and we barely played any tennis. The other schools didn't take the news of us "retiring" very well and made it know.

So now we walk around town, crushing anyone who dared challenge us to a game of tennis. Sometimes we beat them without playing tennis. Kaido and surprisingly Eiji found that it was easier to deal with their emotions when beating people up.

 _ **Thank you Momo-senpai.**_

Ryoma if your watching us now I hope you're getting a good laugh at what we've become. You really fucked us up, me especially. I just hope that you got some kind of peace by calling me. And I hope you're proud of the effect you have on all of us. In the end tennis was just a sport and something else held us together. There are no words to describe it but, you were yours just like we were yours. And now your gone.

I know you won't like it if I kill myself but I can't help but not feel anything when it comes to my life being in danger. The others look out for me but I can't help but wish that they would let me die.

We all miss you. I hope I can see you again soon.


End file.
